Over 100,000 Ukrainians have come to UK since Russia invasion

Over 100,000 Ukrainians have come to the UK under two schemes set up to help those fleeing the country following Russia's invasion on 24 February, the British government said on Thursday.

Nearly 6.2 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe as of 26 July, according to United Nations data, with more than half applying for temporary residence schemes.

Poland alone has registered more than 1.2 million Ukrainians.

Britain's schemes, one for those with family already in the UK and another allowing Britons to offer accommodation to those fleeing the war, initially faced criticism for being overly bureaucratic and leaving some refugees in limbo for weeks.

The government said the process was now fully digital and it aimed to process applications within 48 hours.

It will also now allow children under the age of 18 to apply to come to Britain without a parent or guardian if they have proof of parental consent.

As of 26 July, the number of applications received by Britain under its two Ukraine visa schemes was 198,200, according to government figures, with a total of 166,200 visas issued.

Of those, 104,000 had come to the UK by 25 July.

Britain has been prioritising Ukrainian visas, which has caused processing delays for work and study visas for many applicants from other countries.

(Reuters)